Is it really needed ?

[Byakko]

So let's say you have an idea.

You evaluate the idea against the CENTS commandments and arrive at the conclusion that it mostly fulfills all of them. Your doubt is in the Need commandment. How do you go about getting rid of that doubt?

In other words, how do you know if a product/service is really needed. Do you scratch you own itch? Do you go to forums and try to understand if people complain about something your product/service solves ?

What are your favorite strategies for handling this problem?

 

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[MidwestLandlord]

Identify the need FIRST.

NEEDS are EVERYWHERE (this is really clicking with me lately)

Find the need THEN develop a solution.

not

Develop a solution THEN see if there is need.

In the last week I've talked to:

My dentist
A friend who is a shrink
An electrician

And came up with at least 4 different needs that I might pursue, just by listening. I don't know jack about how to solve these needs, but that's not important at all.

Find the NEED, develop a solution, THEN decide if the solution is worth your time to sell.

 

[Byakko]

Identify the need FIRST.

NEEDS are EVERYWHERE (this is really clicking with me lately)

Find the need THEN develop a solution.

not

Develop a solution THEN see if there is need.

Thank you for the advice. I was making that mistake.

Identify the need FIRST.
In the last week I've talked to:

My dentist
A friend who is a shrink
An electrician

And came up with at least 4 different needs that I might pursue, just by listening. I don't know jack about how to solve these needs, but that's not important at all.

But how do you know those needs are not just something specific to each one of those people? How do you go about validating those needs exists across a group of people and not just one or two people ?

 

[Andy Black]

Identify the need FIRST.

NEEDS are EVERYWHERE (this is really clicking with me lately)

Find the need THEN develop a solution.

not

Develop a solution THEN see if there is need.

In the last week I've talked to:

My dentist
A friend who is a shrink
An electrician

And came up with at least 4 different needs that I might pursue, just by listening. I don't know jack about how to solve these needs, but that's not important at all.

Find the NEED, develop a solution, THEN decide if the solution is worth your time to sell.

Funny you felt the need to specify it was a *friend* who was a shrink eh?



So you've found a need.

Before you go building stuff to solve the need, you may wish to determine if you can consistently get in front of people with that need.

 

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[MidwestLandlord]

Funny you felt the need to specify it was a *friend* who was a shrink eh?

Haha, well I didn't want people to think I was crazy...they can figure that out for themselves.

(But yeah, I've been to a shrink, not ashamed of that lol)

Really though, I volunteer for a suicide prevention non-profit, so I know a bunch of mental health professionals.

 

[Andy Black]

how do you know those needs are not just something specific to each one of those people? How do you go about validating those needs exists across a group of people and not just one or two people ?

Keep an eye out for people consistently:

Complaining about the same thing.

Getting confused about the same thing.

Asking the same thing.


Maybe hang out where similar groups of people congregate.

For example:

I use forums quite a bit (ahem) to work out where people are consistently stuck on certain things. I spot which questions I answer again and again, then create an article to point people to it in the future. By default, a lot of these articles then fill a common need.

Maybe listen to the chats I had with @TedM and with Paloma. (See the master thread in my signature.)



It's very likely people you meet in your everyday life are complaining or asking for things. If you kept helping people with problems then just keep an eye out for things you do regularly.

 

[Byakko]

So you've found a need.

Before you go building stuff to solve the need, you may wish to determine if you can consistently get in front of people with that need.

Hmn... ok, thank you.

I think I get the spirit. I will be talking to some friends and navigating through some forums to see if I find more people with the same need.

 

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[Andy Black]

Hmn... ok, thank you.

I think I get the spirit. I will be talking to some friends and navigating through some forums to see if I find more people with the same need.

Listen to the first radio interview linked to in my signature.

 

[AdamMaxum]

Something I think about and maybe my thinking is wrong on this, but a lot of businesses created didn't really solve a need. They solved a "want" or created a new/better experience that made people believe over time they "needed" to use it over other businesses.

need = require (something) because it is essential or very important.

Amazon - did we need Amazon? No, not really. Would we want an Amazon, sure. Is purchasing something online for typically less and faster shipping a true need?
Google - did we need another search engine? No, not really. Was Google better and more innovative, yes. But is that really a need?
Facebook - did we need another social network? Not really. Did it solve any real needs? Maybe in the sense of making it easier to reach friends and family but there were already ways to do this.
Amazon businesses - do we really need another product line with slightly different branding or pricing?

If you look at a need from a "very important" definition, if you can make people feel like they "need" to use your business/platform over another than I suppose you've created a need because now people can't go back to the way it was before. In the pre-planning phase though, did any of these companies really solve a current "need". Or did they create something that they thought could be better than what existed thereby creating the "need" to use their business/platform over others?

 

[OldFaithful]

In other words, how do you know if a product/service is really needed.

I looked at the market and determined that there were already business providing a similar product. Not exactly the same, and that substantiated for me that there would be a real need in the market. Is there a similar product or service in your marketplace that is already making sales?

I really like @AdamMaxum 's explanation of a "need" vs a "literal need". The Need command can be met in various ways.

 

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[Byakko]

If you look at a need from a "very important" definition, if you can make people feel like they "need" to use your business/platform over another than I suppose you've created a need because now people can't go back to the way it was before. In the pre-planning phase though, did any of these companies really solve a current "need". Or did they create something that they thought could be better than what existed thereby creating the "need" to use their business/platform over others?

I see your point and it is logical yes. I don't know about Amazon or google, I know that facebook emerged from solving a pain point its creator had. You can read about it here (I'm assuming it's true what the article says).

But I totally get your point yes. A lot of times it's not about discovering a new problem, it's about solving the existent ones better.